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Choosing the right care for your child

TriHealth
Published 9:50 a.m. ET May 30, 2018

Like many parents, you’ve probably debated whether you need to take your sick child to his or her pediatrician, to an urgent care center or to the hospital. TriHealth’s experienced healthcare professionals can take the guesswork away.(Photo: Courtesy TriHealth)

You know the drill: Your daughter wakes up with a sore throat; she’s spiking a fever. Your first instinct is, of course, to ensure that she gets the best healthcare available from an excellent doctor as soon as possible. But what’s the best way to make that happen?

To help parents access the highest quality pediatric care when and where they need it, TriHealth has created a highly organized and integrated system. The TriHealth network consists of more than 50 pediatric physicians in 12 office locations throughout Greater Cincinnati. In addition, seven hospitals and three Priority Care centers support emergency and urgent care. Utilizing a single system makes it easy for you to obtain the right medical resources for your child while keeping your medical costs down.

Quality care at all hours

“There are physicians in our system available for our patients 24/7,” says Joseph M. Bailey MD, TriHealth system chief for pediatrics. “We offer what I consider some of the finest pediatric care in the city. We care for patients from birth to age 21 and address everything from well-child care to illnesses, developmental issues, sports injuries, psychological issues and medical emergencies.”

Like many parents, you’ve probably debated whether you need to take your sick child to his or her pediatrician, to an urgent care center or to the hospital. TriHealth’s experienced healthcare professionals can take the guesswork away. “It’s always appropriate to make a phone call to your pediatrician’s office,” says Dr. Bailey. “His or her staff can really help you by offering triage information over the phone, and by recommending whether your child should be brought into the office or should instead be seen in the emergency room.”

Keeping your child’s overall care within the one system offers many benefits. One key advantage: Having all electronic medical records in one place. “Continuity of care is very important,” explains Dr. Bailey, pointing out the ease with which TriHealth pediatricians and subspecialists can share notes and communicate. “In addition,” he says, “by keeping your child’s care within our system, we can offer faster turnaround time on testing – you get quicker results on blood tests, hearing tests and more. Because of this, decisions can be made regarding your child’s care much sooner and in a more efficient manner.”

Avoiding surprise costs

Making sure your child is seen exclusively by one system of providers can help you avoid surprise extra costs, too. A recent Yale University study found that receiving out-of-network care in an emergency room, for example, can mean unforeseen charges for hundreds of dollars or more. The ordering of repeat tests is another expense that can be avoided by keeping all of your child’s care in one system. “From a financial standpoint, maintaining care within TriHealth can help control costs,” says Dr. Bailey.

Another benefit of single-system care: Consultations are seamless. TriHealth physicians can quickly consult on a patient’s diagnosis and treatment. They know each other and have developed relationships that make it easy to work together and communicate clearly. “Staying in the system helps with quality control of care,” says Dr. Bailey. “When a patient is in my office, I can just walk down the hall to consult with a sub-specialist or colleague and say, ‘I think you need to see my patient.’ It’s that simple. Within the TriHealth system, I know the doctors I’m referring my patients to, and I know my patients will get quality care from these physicians.”

Members of the editorial and news staff of the USA Today Network were not involved in the creation of this content.